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Empowering a community through footsteps

In the heart of Morro da Mineira, a favela in Rio de Janeiro, we took a rundown football pitch and powered it with kinetic and solar energy to demonstrate our belief that a mix of innovative ideas can change the way we power communities. It’s time to see if it worked.

We are working with Pavegen, a company that has invented kinetic tiles. These capture the energy of footsteps and convert it into electricity. The result is clean, renewable energy that is generated whenever you walk on a Pavegen tile. Having worked with Pavegen to create the world’s first kinetic and solar powered football pitches in Rio and Lagos, we are now collaborating with Pavegen to help install kinetic tiles in a US city regeneration project.

Did it work? Kylie Flavell chats to the community

To demonstrate the butterfly effect a small energy idea can have, we asked the talented one-woman film production company, Kylie Flavell to visit the community and give us her perspective.

Those who watch Kylie’s videos on YouTube will know that she likes to take the time to get to know and establish a genuine rapport with the people she interviews. So who better to report back on the effects our kinetic pitch has had on the people of Morro da Mineira? Watch the video below to see what she uncovered.

Title: Kylie Flavell

Kylie Flavell, the interviewer, rides in on back of local boy’s motor scooter.

[Background music plays]

Gentle background music encourages feeling of hope.

[Animated sequence]

{Motor scooter rides into favela. The boy welcomes, the woman cries, the father holds his small child. Street scenes of the favela, children sit on steps or play, men gather, streets climb festooned with electric wiring and graffiti. Then children playing on the football pitch, a view over Guanabara and the favela. The Kylie Flavell takes camera and passport and heads for Rio}

{Kylie Flavell}

{Rio final} Transcript

{What if a boy welcomed you into his town even though you were a stranger. What if a woman opened her heart and cried in your arms the first day you met. What if a father’s only wish was that his girls grow up without violence outside their home.

What if a 14 year-old boy with the only money he had chose to buy second-hand books because his dream is to become a teacher. I’m going to be honest with you, when I first looked up this favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I read that it had a history of crime and violence, that tourists would not be safe going there alone, that the families living in this village worry their children would grow up working in the drug trade or growing up with very little hope. But what they were working in there was too intriguing. It’s not a big change, it’s not affecting a whole city or the whole country.

But what if a tiny village with no modern infrastructure could take sunshine and the movement of children playing something they love and turn it into a small idea that might start a ripple of change. So I packed up my camera equipment, jumped on a plane and went deep into the favelas to see for myself.

[Animated sequence]

{Street scenes of favela, unfinished homes, chaotic electric wiring, then the football pitch and children playing in sunshine. Quick shot of pitch floodlit. Scenes of daily life, with happy adults and kids. Pitch, kids football team and coach. Kylie Flavell chats with adults and children. Lots of of laughter.}

{Kylie Flavell}

{It’s surreal. I can’t believe I’m here in Rio, but I’m excited. This is an inspiring story.

A year ago the football pitch of this favela, Morro da Mineira, was just dirt and goalposts. Shell put a small energy idea into action using the technology of Shell liveWIRE grant winner, Pavegen. They put about 200 tiles under the astro turf and these tiles capture the energy created by the movement of people playing and along with solar panels generate electricity which powers the floodlights.

OK, so it seems like just a small change but this square has become the heart of the favela. It’s becoming a social meeting point. The restaurants around it are getting more business; the kids are so excited about playing here.

They’re proud of their village being chosen as the first in the world to trial this technology. The football coach, a local guy who trains the children just out of passion, is teaching them rules like no swearing when on the pitch and the kids are then taking this discipline back home. The parents who both need to work to make ends meet know that at night their kids can now play and socialise in a space that’s lit up and busy with people.

I mean it’s not going to guarantee their safety or change their life in a major way but talking with these families on the pitch, in their homes and in their businesses I can honestly see the butterfly effect.

Do you think things will change for your family? You’re hopeful, ugh? Without hope you’re dead. This is true, and I hope for you that your community can continue to grow.

[Animated sequence]

{City skyline, then back to favela. Night falls and favela lights up, with the football pitch at the heart of it.)

The guys at Pavegen think this could be how we power whole cities in the future. I mean we’re talking about just using the sun and human movement. Think about that. This here is a just a little start, but can you imagine on a larger scale. I think the potential could be incredible.

[Animated sequence]

{Kylie Flavell chats with Henrique Drummond – background of coloured favela walls, graffiti, this time in nearby Santa Marta. Wall paintings, view of bay and Pão de Açucar, street scenes and close ups of Kylie Flavell laughing and chatting with community families, and dancing. Small girls play with Barbie dolls}

The next project Shell is getting behind is this young Brazilian guy called Henrique Drummond. He’s been trying to push for this little start up called Insolar, it’s just him and another guy working part time.

He’s been doing it for the past 2 years and the idea is to help Santa Marta, which is another favela nearby, to use the power of the sun to bring light and hot water to the community, starting with the day-care centre that was created by the mothers of Santa Marta who had nowhere for their children when they work.

I don’t know, I’m really inspired. Like hearing what you do, it’s so cool. But hang on, so you were working in an office, and then what happened, suddenly you think ‘I want more from life, I want to do something that makes a difference’.}

{Henrique}

{You have to take one step forward and decide, OK, I’m going to do it, take the risk, if you think in this way. But I knew I needed to do that. I was searching for something with more meaning.}

{Kylie Flavell}

I spoke to this boy. His dream is to study and become a history teacher, and I think this is such a simple hope. He’s not asking for much.

{Henrique}

{No, not at all, not at all.}

{Kylie Flavell}

{And I don’t know, it makes me really emotional. Like, wow, this is, well a normal teenager is not even having dreams like this in many places in the world.

{Henrique}

{Not even have this opportunity to dream that high. For them it’s a high.}

{Kylie Flavell}

{Like you said, speaking with all these people, even in my terrible Portuguese, one little word here. But you do see that, you see hope. In the children, in his grandfather, I don’t know, there’s this optimism.}

{Henrique}

{The Brazilian people, but it’s one thing they are very known for is hope. We hope things are going to be better.}

{Kylie Flavell}

{I mean we spoke to this one man, he helps run the community, and he’s saying you know our children they’re walking around and all they see is the favela. Their whole life, all they have seen are these alleyways, this community.

But he said now, because of the football pitch, there is press coming in, there are foreigners like me, an Kylie Flavell coming in, and he’s saying this gives them a little glimpse of the big world that’s out there, and maybe it plants a seed in their head and says you know what there are so many different ways of living.

I don’t know. For me it gives me goose bumps, because I think like, wow, I’m not doing anything, I’m just walking in and having a conversation with them. But for a child, it can start a dream.

{Henrique}

{As you said, maybe you just asked the question that was never asked before, like what’s your dream? Maybe that question, as you said, planted the seeds in the mind. I don’t have to worry that much about the challenges of the past or the present.

But I can look forward to see how I can reach my dreams and do something different and surmount the boundaries of my community, my history, my family and the challenge also motivates us, because every step we take is like maybe the first step in this field.

{Kylie Flavell}

{I really, really, hope your project goes well. I really do. This is exactly what’s great about our generation. You can start with this little idea. You can say it seems crazy, but I don’t care, I’m going to do it anyway.

And when I spoke to the community in Morro da Mineira they say you know that we have this technology first, and we’re just a small favela, but you know what, we can do it.

We can do it!}

Hosted, Filmed edited

by Kylie Flavell

[First Shell end screen appears with copy: What if your idea could change the world? Search #makethefuture on Google.]

[Second Shell end screen appears with copy: See how we support bright energy ideas Search #makethefuture on Google.]

When innovation and play collide

Thanks to 200 kinetic tiles, the people of Morro da Mineira now have a renewable source of electricity to help power their pitch’s floodlights. The community can use this sports facility as a well-lit place to gather and play football well into the evening.

The Pavegen kinetic technology used in the pitch was developed by Laurence Kemball-Cook, a grant winner of Shell’s LiveWIRE programme. His incredible idea was sparked like so many others, by simply asking, “What if?”

“Shell and Pele, we are here to launch the first pitch powered by the football players themselves."

[Video footage]

Sped up footage of AstroTurf pitch being laid.

[Andrew]

“This pitch has two things that we love it. First is a young generation of football players. The second one, plenty of sunshine all the time. So the solution Shell gave is to put together solar energy with kinetic panels.”

[Video footage]

Boys playing football.

Buildings next to pitch. Camera pans down to show solar panels on small building next to pitch.

Boys playing football, close-ups on their feet.

Interview with Laurence Kemball-Cook

[Laurence Kemball-Cook]

CEO Pavegen

[Laurence]

“So every time people walk, run on the tiles energy is being harvested. Today we’ve laid them underneath some AstroTurf in a football pitch. So the people you see playing football behind me, we’re harnessing their energy and we’re storing it and we’re using it to power and light the football pitch itself.”

[Video footage]

Boys playing football, close-ups on their feet. Boy rolls over on the ground.

Interview with Pelé

[Pelé]

“For the first time we give a kick-off of one soccer field who’s going to bring the light for the new generation.”

[Video footage]

Boys playing football in the dark. Floodlights shine down onto pitch. Camera pans up from pitch to floodlight.

Interview with Malena Cutuli

[Malena Cutuli]

Global Head Brand Communications, Shell

[Malena]

“Make The Future is an initiative that Shell is launching to inspire and engage younger generations and millennials to go into science.”

[Video footage]

Boys playing football and doing tricks on the pitch at night.

Interview with Pedro Veiga

[Pedro Veiga]

IPP Spokeperson

[Pedro - subtitles]

We have people here from 5AM until midnight. This led to renovations in all the bars and houses around here. Children can play here at night after school, without the risk of coming and not having lighting.

[Video footage]

Boys playing football at night on the pitch, panning up to floodlight.

Pelé waving at people in a bar, people cheer and wave back.

Man writing Pelé on some wall art.

Pele greeting people and children.

Footballing boys sitting on the ground, smiling and laughing.

[Pelé]

“What if your idea could change the world?”

[Video footage]

Boys playing football at night on the pitch, camera pans up to floodlight.

[Pelé]

“Make the future.”

[Graphic]

Shell logo

[Text displays]

#makethefuture

Copyright Shell International Limited 2014

Power of Community- Inspiring a Brazilian favela with a Kinetic Energy powered football pitch

Title: The Power of Community - Inspiring a Brazilian Favela with a Kinetic Energy-powered Football Pitch - from YouTube

Duration: 3:09 minutes

The Power of Community - Inspiring a Brazilian Favela with a Kinetic Energy-powered Football Pitch - from YouTube Film Transcript

[Text displays]

Morro da Mineira | Brazil 2014

[Video footage]

Brazilian favela – lots of houses crammed together on hillsides.

[Pedro]

“Everyone here’s celebrating. We’re so excited that our community was chosen for this project. For us, football is way more than a game; it’s a way of life and our field is where we all come together.”

[Video footage]

Women looking out from a balcony of a rundown house.

Schoolchildren running through a corridor.

Group of people in the street, smiling at the camera.

Little boy looking through a fence, smiling.

Young football team walks out onto pitch holding hands.

Children look through the fence at the pitch.

[Text displays]

The power of community.

[Pedro]

“My name is Pedro Paolo. I’m president of Mineira’s community association in Rio’s Catumbi neighbourhood.”

[Video footage]

Pedro walking through a street, towards the camera.

Pedro getting his hair cut.

Interview with Pedro Paulo

[Pedro - subtitles]

“I’ve lived here my whole life. For 38 years.”

[Video footage]

Boys playing football.

Buildings next to pitch. Camera pans down to show solar panels on small building next to pitch.

Boys playing football, close-ups on their feet.

[Pedro]

My grandmother arrived 50 years ago looking for a better life in Rio.

[Video footage]

Pedro walks into a shop, greets the shopkeeper.

[Pedro - subtitles]

“Hey Toosh!”

[Toosh]

“Pedro Paulo! It’s been so long!”

[Video footage]

People shaking hands. Sharing drinks.

[Pedro]

“Everyone here knows each other, they care for one another. The community football field is the heart of the neighbourhood.”

[Video footage]

Brazilian flag painted on a wall. Man doing football tricks in front. Children sitting on a wall watching.

[Pedro]

“Most people work during the day so they can only play at night. People would play even without reliable lighting but it is dangerous, especially with the uneven turf. Back when the field was just dirt some of Rio’s top players trained here. Recently, with such bad conditions on the field we’ve had to cancel our tournaments.”

[Video footage]

Man slicing ham, woman cooking, man cutting hair.

Children playing football on a dark street.

Children sitting on a wall.

Football pitch in very bad condition.

[Pedro]

“So we are all very excited by what Shell is doing, helping us to install kinetic energy tiles under a new playing surface, so as we play we can actually help to light the field.”

[Video footage]

Man welding.

People rolling out AstroTurf.

People playing football on AstroTurf.

People playing football at night on a lit pitch.

Floodlight.

[Barber - subtitles]

“It’s a really interesting project. It’ll make a difference here. I hope it lasts for many years.”

[Video footage]

Barber cutting hair.

[Waitress - subtitles]

“The field will be beneficial for our community, for our children. There’s a new program of technical courses for the youth. This project will also benefit small business owners and will bring more customers to my restaurant.

[Video footage]

Waitress serving customers, hugging customers and talking to them. Looks out the window at the pitch being prepared outside her restaurant.

[Pedro]

“Every week we have community games. These are the times we really all come together and this time we all gathered to dedicate the field to each other.”

[Video footage]

Finished AstroTurf field.

Child looking out from balcony.

Children lined up ready to play football, man in a suit greeting and talking to them.

Red and yellow ribbon ready to be cut. A woman cuts the ribbon and releases balloons. People cheer and clap. Children look through the fence. Balloons rise into the air.

[Pedro]

“We have competitions for all ages, so this is when all the generations come out to cheer each other on.”

[Video footage]

Children playing football. Men walking out to play. Aerial view of the pitch.

[Pedro]

“Now these games can go on well into the night and more people can come out and enjoy the games.”

[Video footage]

Shot of Rio at night.

Sped-up footage of the sun going down and floodlights coming on over football pitch as people play.

Lights being switched on, floodlights on.

Teenagers playing football. People watching.

[Pedro]

“We can see that it is really inspiring them to learn more about how these kind of things work.”

[Video footage]

Children smiling at camera.

[Pedro – subtitles]

“I’m really happy and proud for our community.”

[Video footage]

Man standing in front of Brazilian flag, smiling.

Other people looking at camera, smiling.

Children playing on pitch at night.

[Pedro]

“Now every time we come together to play we are helping to turn the lights on and keep them on fpr generations to come.”

[Text displays]

What if your idea could change the world?

Help outsmart tomorrow’s energy challenges today.

[Graphic]

Shell logo

[Text displays]

#makethefuture

Copyright Shell International Limited 2014

[Text displays]

The world needs more scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.

Title: The Power of Innovation - Creating Energy with Footsteps - Shell - from YouTube

Duration: 2:53 minutes

The Power of Innovation - Creating Energy with Footsteps - Shell - from YouTube Film Transcript

[Background music]

Slow, calm music.

[Laurence]

“It’s predicted that by 2050 the world will be using 75% more energy than it does now. Meeting that extra demand will require a broader mix of energy solutions and a new generation of scientists and engineers with a passion to innovate and develop them.”

[Video footage]

Rio at sunset. Large buildings in Rio.

Streetlamp shining at night.

Children playing football in the dark.

Houses crammed together on a hillside, lights turning on.

Man walking down alleyway.

View of Rio at sunset, large buildings and roads.

[Text displays]

The power of innovation

Interview with Laurence Kemball-Cook

[Laurence]

“My name is Laurence Kemball-Cook, I’m an industrial design engineer. I’ve invented a new technology that converts the weight of a footstep into electricity, which can be used to power applications in a city."

[Video footage]

Laurence using a screwdriver on a piece of machinery.

People walking on a road – close-up of their feet.

Close-up of the machinery Laurence is working on.

Streetlight turning on.

Lots of people crossing a road.

[Laurence]

“Every step you guys take on one of our tiles will convert your weight, just that small amount of movement, into electrical power.”

[Video footage]

Laurence talking to a group of children.

Child jumping on a tile.

Children jumping up and down together. A light that Laurence is holding turns on. Children cheer.

Children jumping on the tiles in slow motion.

[Video footage]

Favela on a hillside.

[Text displays]

Morro da Mineira | Brazil 2014

[Laurence]

“Shell had the idea of rebuilding the football field in the Morro da Mineira favela using these kinetic tiles and solar power. Now on this field play itself helps turn the lights on and to keep them on, giving a kid somewhere safe to play at night. It’s already making a huge difference to this community.”

[Video footage]

People rolling out AstroTurf, dragging it to the edge to cover the pitch.

Children playing on the pitch in the day. Children watching through the fence. Children playing at night.

[Laurence]

“I got the support I needed to develop this idea through a programme called Shell Livewire, which helps entrepreneurs to build on their inventions and to make them real. It’s about inspiring young people to explore fields of science, engineering and technology so they can come up with bright, new ideas to help meet the rising energy demand.”

[Video footage]

Laurence working at a computer. A man with mask welding.

Laurence talking to people, showing them plans.

Children dancing and jumping on the tiles.

Children in a classroom, reading and looking through microscopes.

A train going through a station.

People on an escalator.

A shot of busy traffic on road.

Trees and leaves.

[Laurence]

“Most of us don’t really know about how much energy we use. Energy is all around us. The technology offers a way that people can take part in that process.”

[Video footage]

Car and a motorcycle on a road.

Electricity cables.

People walking along a street, walking up steps.

Children dancing on the tiles.

Children looking out over Rio.

Close-up of a person’s feet as they walk.

Children running through a favela.

Children watching others play football.

[Laurence]

“We’re all on a journey together now.”

[Video footage]

Child looking out of a window.

Child standing on a roof.

Young children looking out of a window. Child on a balcony.

People smiling at camera.

[Laurence]

“We’ve got a long way to go.”

[Video footage]

Children playing football at night.

Children playing football on a small dirt pitch.

Floodlight comes on. Children playing at night on the new AstroTurf pitch. Child looks up at the light.

Laurence looks up.

[Laurence]

“But we’ll get there”

[Video footage]

Rio at sunset.

Children jumping up and down.

Laurence walking through a narrow alley.

[Laurence]

“One step at a time.”

[Text displays]

What if your idea could change the world?

Help outsmart tomorrow’s energy challenges today.

[Graphic]

Shell logo

[Text displays]

#makethefuture

Copyright Shell International Limited 2014

[Text displays]

The world needs more scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.